planning · 29 May 2026
Is Chiang Mai cheap in 2026? An honest cost-of-trip breakdown
Is Chiang Mai still cheap in 2026? A per-day cost breakdown across backpacker, mid-range, and higher-end trips — and the parts that have got more expensive.
The travel guide
Planning
Practical playbooks for planning Northern Thailand: what to book, what to skip, when to come, and how our same-day operator confirmation works differently from the big marketplaces.
Featured · planning
Chiang Mai travel guide 2026: a locally-run operator's playbook
A complete Chiang Mai travel guide — when to come, where to stay, what to eat, the tours worth doing and the ones to skip, costs, scams, and our own playbook.
27 May 2026 · 20 min read
planning · 24 May 2026
Best free things to do in Chiang Mai: 15 actually-free activities
Fifteen Chiang Mai activities that genuinely cost nothing — temple visits, viewpoints, art galleries, parks, river walks — plus the things wrongly listed as free.
planning · 19 May 2026
Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai: which to base in for Northern Thailand
If you only have time for one northern city — Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai as a base. Day-trip range, food scene, accommodation depth, and which suits your trip.
planning · 17 May 2026
Songthaew (red truck) Chiang Mai: how the shared taxi system works
Riding the songthaew red trucks — flag-down etiquette, the ฿30 vs ฿100 split, route logic, and the rare reverse-direction scam to spot.
planning · 26 Apr 2026
Golden Triangle from Chiang Rai: opium history and Mekong viewpoint
The Golden Triangle — what the name actually means, the Opium Museum that ranks above the photo-op viewpoint, and how to combine with a Mekong boat ride.
planning · 19 Apr 2026
Chiang Mai map: Old City, Nimman, and Riverside — how they fit together
A walkthrough of Chiang Mai's geography — the moat-square Old City, the Nimman grid, Santitham above, Riverside east, and how distances feel on foot vs Grab.
planning · 19 Apr 2026
Chiang Rai day trip from Chiang Mai: white temple, blue temple, black house
Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai as a day trip — the 3-hour drive, the must-see triumvirate, and whether you should overnight instead. Honest comparison.
planning · 17 Apr 2026
Chiang Mai visa requirements in 2026: visa-exempt, DTV, and runs
Chiang Mai visa reality for 2026 — 60-day visa-exempt for most nationalities, the DTV digital-nomad visa, and the visa runs (Mae Sai border) people still do.
planning · 15 Apr 2026
Chiang Mai photography spots: 12 places worth the early alarm
Twelve Chiang Mai photography spots — temples with golden-hour light, rice-paddy viewpoints, lantern-festival angles, and the spots over-saturated by influencers.
planning · 12 Apr 2026
Chiang Mai 7-day itinerary: a week without filler
A 7-day Chiang Mai itinerary that doesn't pad — temples, elephants, cooking class, Doi Inthanon, Sticky Falls, Pai overnight option, free-day buffer.
planning · 10 Apr 2026
What to pack for Chiang Mai by season: a real packing list
Chiang Mai packing list — month-by-month rather than generic. Rain season vs cool season vs burning season. Temple-appropriate layers and items most travellers forget.